Is a small lie ever justifiable to protect a friendship?
In short: If you told a friend dinner was earlier than scheduled just to ensure they arrived on time, would you be acting unethically? This video explores the classic dilemma of whether lying is always wrong or if certain deceptions are permissible.
Sarah Stroud presents a scenario involving a dinner reservation intended to introduce an acquaintance, Emerson, to a friend, Carey. Because Carey is habitually late, you face a choice: tell the truth and risk the plan failing, or provide a false time of 6:00 instead of 6:30 to guarantee their punctuality.
The lesson, produced in collaboration with the Parr Center for Ethics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, examines the tension between moral rules and practical outcomes.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Ethical dilemma: Would you lie? - Sarah Stroud
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